


Books are the windows to the soul

by lotspot



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Books, Getting Together, NB Grantaire, R is a book nerd, and enjolras is oblivious, enjolras is always trans in my fics even if its not mentioned, enjoltaire - Freeform, exr - Freeform, these nerds are gonna kill me, this is just cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-08-15 00:59:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8036119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lotspot/pseuds/lotspot
Summary: Grantaire is the go-to person for book recommendations. Everyone knows that. Except Enjolras.This is mainly an excuse to write Book Nerd R.





	Books are the windows to the soul

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a post on tumblr about how everyone probably gets book recommendations from R and I just had to write something.
> 
> R is NB  
> Jehan is NB  
> Enjolras is trans (even tho its not mentioned)

Grantaire had always been an avid reader. They would always chat for hours about books when they were a child but after it became obvious to them that no one was listening, these rants slowly became less frequent until eventually they stopped all together. They still read of course but despite their new friends breaking through almost all of their walls… this one remained intact.

***

It all started with Combeferre. Combeferre was writing a thesis on moths when Grantaire walked into the Musain to find him frantically fanning through a book with desperation in his eyes.

“What’s up buttercup?” Combeferre jumped at Grantaire’s voice.

“I got this book from the library but it seems there are pages missing and I really need them but the library is closed and-“

Grantaire silently took the book from Combeferre’s shaking hands and flipped it closed to see the front cover.

“I have this book. You can borrow it if you want. I live 5 minutes from here”

Combeferre just gaped at them. “You have ‘Moths of South America volume 3?’”

Grantaire just shrugged and got up beckoning Combeferre to come with them. “You’d be surprised”

 

***

“R! R R R R!”

Grantaire sighed and looked up just in time to see Jehan dramatically throw themselves into the chair opposite them.

“Jehan?”

“R it’s a disaster! I have run out of poetry. I have read every book in my flat I swear. My life no longer has meaning.”

Chuckling, Grantaire rooted around in their bag for a minute before pulling out ‘The World’s Wife’ by Carol Ann Duffy and throwing it at Jehan’s head.

“It’s a little different from what you usually read but I think you’ll like her. Lots of gender issues to question.”

Jehan just beamed at them before settling down to read.

 

***

 

From then on if anyone needed to borrow a book or just needed a recommendation it was always “Ask R”. Grantaire prided themselves in being able to recommend exactly the right book due to knowing everything about their friends and they loved seeing their grins when they came back to Grantaire with a finished book. They started reading in public again and soon found that, more often than not, it was a book in their hands as opposed to a bottle.

It took a few weeks before Grantaire started instigating conversations about books they were reading themselves. A few more weeks and their friends were surprised to find out R could quote pages of most things from Tolkien to Orwell off the top of their head. Soon everyone recognised that what Grantaire had waved off as ‘random phrases that had caught their eye’ tattooed on their arms, were actually their favourite passages and lines.

Everyone, that is, except Enjolras.

Grantaire assumed that Enjolras was too busy to read. Or just didn’t read anything that wasn’t “The Social Contract”.

Enjolras noticed everyone’s attention had been more on Grantaire recently but hadn’t thought much of it. Grantaire had always been more a people person than Enjolras. It was something he admired in Grantaire more than he was willing to admit. Not that he was willing to admit any of his feelings towards Grantaire. Of course Combeferre and Courfeyrac knew about his crush but they kept mercifully quiet about it when they weren’t alone.

 

Combeferre was lying on the couch reading quietly when he was interrupted by Enjolras draping himself on top of him and yanking the book out of his hands.

“I didn’t know you read Sylvia Plath?”

Combeferre sighed and took the book back from Enjolras.

“I’m trying something new. Now get off me and let me read.”

Enjolras just pouted. “I would read with you but I have nothing to read. How does no one else seem to run out of books?”

Combeferre had reopened his book and distractedly muttered “Ask R” before shoving Enjolras onto the floor.

“Why would I ask R?” he muttered as he stomped back to his bedroom.

He fished his phone from the pocket of his jeans.

“Hello you have reached Jenny’s hookers. How can I help you today?”

“Courf I know you know it’s me”

“Enjolras! What a pleasant surprise! A little warning and I would have turned off my work voice!”

“Courf you’re a chef”

“Hey! You don’t know my life.”

“I live with you – speaking of which – where are you? Actually never mind I don’t want to know. I just called cause I need a book to read cause I’m bored and Ferre is being difficult.”

“What did he say?”

“He said to ask R.”

“You should”

“What?”

“Ask R, I mean. You should talk to them.”

“Are you two in cahoots? Surely if you want us together – which by the way is not happening - you’d give me a topic that will actually spark a conversation?”

Courf let out a frustrated sigh at the other end of the line. “Listen just – whatever. I can’t pick up the flyers from R’s today anyways. Could you go get them for me? Pleaseeeeeeeeee?”

Enjolras rolled his eyes. “Yeah sure whatever.”

“Thanks Enjy you’re the bestest friend in the whole entire world”

“Ok. Bye now Courf.”

 

Enjolras hung up and threw his phone onto the bed behind him. He had at least half an hour before he had to leave to R’s and pick up the flyers. He hopped into the shower and got dressed. If he happened to pick clothes that were slightly more form fitting than usual then that was a complete coincidence.

He glanced at himself in the mirror before nodding and heading towards the front door.

“Are you going somewhere nice?” Enjolras had completely forgotten about Combeferre on the couch and froze. He regained his composure before answering.

“No I’m just going to pick up the flyers from Grantaire’s. Courf said he can’t do it.”

Combeferre just raised his eyebrows before looking down again.

Enjolras huffed and left.

***

 

“Enjolras! To what do I owe the pleasure?” Grantaire opened the door wider to let Enjolras into their apartment.

“Courf couldn’t collect the flyers so I said I’d-“

Enjolras’ words freeze in his throat as he takes in Grantaire’s flat.

“Oh shit I’m sorry. It’s a bit messy… I expected Courf and he’s sort of crashed here a load of times whilst drunk so he has no excuse to ever call me out on it. If I’d known you were coming, I mean, I’m not blaming you obviously but”

Enjolras barely heard any of Grantaire’s rambling as he looked around the flat. There were books everywhere. Not just in Grantaire’s two huge bookshelves but scattered on the coffee table, being used as coasters for coffee mugs and piled on top of the microwave. There were small magnetic books stuck to the fridge and a huge encyclopaedia being used as a door stop.

“Combeferre and Courfeyrac weren’t kidding.”

Grantaire stopped rambling and looked at Enjolras quizzically.

“They told me to talk to you about book recommendations but I thought they were taking the piss”

“Have you seriously not noticed I read? Is it that hard to imagine me doing something academic? You wound me, Enjolras.”

“No – I mean, wait what do you mean ‘have I not noticed’? Noticed what?”

“Enjolras, everyone comes to me for books. It’s practically all I talk about.” And then they muttered “you really pay less attention than I thought” before grabbing a pile of flyers from the coffee table and wordlessly handing them to Enjolras.

Enjolras took the flyers but just stared at Grantaire.

“Grantaire, I- It’s not that.”

“It’s fine, Apollo, I just assumed you didn’t have time to read or, wait, how many times have you read ‘The Social Contract?’”

Enjolras blushed. “5 times. But it’s not that R I promise. I admit I didn’t realise, and that was crappy of me, but when Combeferre and Courfeyrac told me to ask you I thought they were teasing me into talking to you. I absolutely think you are capable of doing something academic. You’re so smart, R. Even smarter than I thought apparently” Enjolras gestured to the room around him to make his point. This conversation was going downhill and Enjolras decided he should probably stop talking.

Grantaire just looked at him with even more confusion. “Why would you think that?”

“I mean look at all these books! You’ve read all these books?! Of course you’re smart! Surely that doesn’t surprise you that much?”

“No I mean the first bit. Why would you think they were teasing you?”

Enjolras blushed again but quickly backed away, his voice cold. “Never mind. Leave it. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable but now that I’m here could you maybe recommend me a book to read?”

Grantaire was frozen. “He promised not to tell you. Shit, Enjolras, I’m sorry. Courfeyrac promised – I’m going to kill him. And to tease you about it. Typical. I should have kept it to myself I’m sorry you never had to know. I know you don’t feel that way and I’m honestly fine admiring from a distance. I promise you won’t even know I’m there. Or I can leave I can stop coming to meetings, whatever makes you comfortable”

Enjolras shut them up by grabbing their wrists.

“What are you talking about? Why would I want you to leave? They’re my friends they have, unfortunately, every right to tease me about my feelings.”

“Your feelings?”

“Yes – wait admiring from a distance?”

Now it was Grantaire’s turn to blush. “Well yeah.”

Enjolras let go of Grantaire’s wrists and cupped their face in his hands. “Ok well, I’m going to kiss you now.”

Grantaire just nodded and Enjolras closed the distance between them.

When they broke away Grantaire muttered “Do you still need that book?”

Enjolras threw his head back in laughter making Grantaire laugh with him.

“Eventually maybe. But I find that I’m really not as bored as I was.”

**Author's Note:**

> hmu on tumblr xx
> 
> probably-pride-related


End file.
